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Pomegranate Gochujang Glazed Salmon

Another salmon recipe?! Yes, my friends, another one.

So it’s probably starting to become very apparent that I eat a ton of salmon. For one, it’s delicious. But I also love it because my body responds to it well. It’s a nutrition superstar, and full of those healthy omega-3 fatty acids – which almost everyone needs more of to balance out all the omega-6 fatty acids that are found more frequently in packaged foods these days (yes, even the super healthy ones). Did you know that was a thing? Balancing your omega-3 and omega-6 intake? Well, if not, that’s ok, most people don’t. It’s an important topic though, because excess omega-6 leads to excess inflammation in the body. I am working on a my first Health & Wellness blog post to dive into this topic in more detail, so be on the lookout for that!

So back to the recipe. Because I eat a lot of salmon, I’m always looking for new ways to cook it so I don’t get burnt out. And with this one we are bringing in a little heat (where are all my spice lovers at?!) with this pomegranate gochujang glaze.

Gochu-what?!

Gochujang is a Korean hot chili pepper paste made from chili peppers, fermented soy beans, garlic, and a couple other things. It’s most widely used in kimchi, and is meant to be use for cooking as opposed to its cousin, sriracha, which is used more as a condiment. The flavor is sortaaaaa similar to chili-garlic sauce (you know, the one with the green lid?), but it has that added umami flavor from the fermented soy beans.

So where can you buy gochujang? I’ve seen it just about everywhere these days, definitely at Whole Foods and major super markets in the international section. BUT, you do need to be careful which brand you buy, some use corn syrup – yuck. I recommend Mother in Law’s and Wholly Gochujang (which is a gluten-free version) – not sponsored, just good quality stuff.

And why the pomegranate?! Well, mainly to bring in a healthy source of sweetness that’s full of antioxidants and nutrients. It just adds a hint of pomegranate flavor that complements the spicy chili flavor, without being overpowering.

In the picture above, I’ve got the salmon in a bowl with some quick sautéed veggies. The veggies are not included in the recipe below, but essentially all I did was heat a little avocado oil in a pan over medium-high heat, threw in the chopped veggies (I did baby bok choy, broccolini, zucchini and summer squash) and sautéed for about 5 – 7 minutes, then hit them with some coconut aminos and a little salt, then sautéed another 1 – 2 minutes. Do the veggies all while the salmon is cooking in the oven so everything is ready to go at the same time!

*Side Chat: coconut aminos are commonly used as a soy sauce substitute, but it’s a little sweeter and not as salty. You can always sub tamari or regular soy sauce, but if using tamari or soy I would omit the salt at the end and probably wait to add it until the very end so you avoid that burnt soy taste.

In a small sauce pan, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer to allow the glaze to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Arrange salmon filets on a baking sheet (you may want to line with foil for easier clean up). Bruch each filet with glaze until lightly coated, and place in the oven to cook for 10 minutes. Halfway through cooking, brush with more glaze. Once the 10 minutes is up, brush with remaining glaze, turn on broiler, and broil for another 3 - 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool a couple minutes before serving.

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NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION*

Serving Size: 1 salmon filet

Calories: 347.8

Fat: 18.6g

Carbs: 8.0g

Fiber: 0.0g

Sugar: 5.4g

Protein: 34.2g

*Nutritional Information provided is a rough estimate for informational purposes and based on the recipe measurements, specific ingredients used and nutritional data available. Any variance in ingredients or measurements may affect the Nutritional Information accordingly.